Railway-frog



(No Model.)

J. T. RICHARDSON.

RAILWAY FROG.

,WQ/mamas.

ihniTen STaTns PaTnrvT @Trina JOHN T. RICHARDSON, OF HARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR OF OEE-HALF T() ArLEXr/XNDER H. EGE, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAiLNAY-FROG.

SPEOFATIQBT forming part 0i' Letters Patent No. 319,024, dated June 2, 3.885.

Application iiicd June 2G, 1834.

To all whom, t 77mg/ conceive:

Beit known that I, J cnn T. RrcrrARDsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Frogs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a partot' this specification.

My invention is an improvement upon a patent granted me May 29, 1877, which was entitled a railroad-frog-7 It related to that class of railway-frogs having brace-blocks made to it and bear against the under side of the head and the base of the rail, in coinbination with binding-bars, keys, and throatpieces, so as to dispense with bolts, and thusto secure economy and durability in the construction, and permit any partof the frog to be taken out when worn and replaced when the frog is in the track.

My present invention consists, principally, in the combination, with holding devices, of a single section of rail so wrought and bent as to enable me to secure a solid point or tongue and at the same time avoid the necessity of dovetailing or riveting two sections of rail together at the required angle to constitute the point or tongue, as is the usual mode of construction.

It also further consists in an improved construction of binding-bars and keys, in connection with keepers or holders for the better retention ofthe bindingbars and keys in place.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved railway-frog. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottoni of the frog. Fig. 3 shows a transverse vertical sect-ion taken in the line ai oi Fig. l. Fig. et is also a transverse vertical section taken in the line 3,1 1/ of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a single section ot rail partially bent to constitute the frog angle and point. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the wing-rail of the frog, showing the angle-bar in place. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of Fig.

6, showing the relative positions of the anglebar, brace-block, and clamp in place.

Fig. 8

(No model .l

' is a plan view ot the key, showing the general shape of the same. y

- A A are the inner or rail sides ofthe angle that constitutes the point or tongue of the frog, and is composed oi" two webs, the rail being so planed as upon being bent about centrally the two webs admit ot' being brought into closelateral contact until they commence to diverge from each other at or near the heel of the point. The said webs then upon being riveted together constitute a solid point, and by this mode of construction obviate all necessity cf dovetailing or bolting two sections of rail, and thus incurring the liability of working loose and slipping apart longitudinaliy.

B B' are the outer or wing rails, bent to the required curves.

Between the rails are throat-pieces C Gand D D', of a size requisite to maintain the rcquired throat-space between the rails of the frog. These pieces are of a shape to iitthe rails, bearing principally on the upper side of the base and the under side of the head of the rail. The throat-pieces C C' have the same shape on each side, and are located near the heel of the point. The throat-pieces D D', located at the end of the point, have each on one side the same shape as pieces C 0'; but on the opposite side they are shaped t0 fit the tapered end of the point and bear solidly on the same, with a portion extending in front of the point. These throatpieces are not fastcned to any part of the frog, but are held in place simply by t-he clamping-power of the binding-bars.

Beneath the rails and directly-'under the throat-pieces are the binding bars or clamps E E', the ends of which are curved upward to a degree of curvature that will not strain the texture of the metal, and at the same time will conform to the corresponding curved or convex surface of the keys F F and the braceblocks G and H.

G G and H H are the brace-blocks, made to fit the rails, bearing only and equally on the upper surfaces of the bases and the under side of the heads of the rails. The braceblocks G and H have their sides curved to t accurately to the curved ends of the binding bars E E', and the braceblocks G and H have their sides inclined to suit thc-plane surfaces IOO of the keys F F. Said keys F F', as shown in Fig. 7, are tapered or wedge-like longitudinally, split a portion of their length, and made with sides of unlike conformation, the one side being flat or inclined regularlylongitudinally and the other side convex or curved transversely to t snugly between said brace-blocks and the ends of the binding bars or clamps E E, a conformation that prevents the keys from working out longitudinally under the vibration of trains moving thereover.

In order, also, to prevent either a forward or backward movement of the clamps, and therevby to secure the permanent engagement of the co-operating parts of the frog with each other, I place keepers or clips 7c 7c of ribbon imetal over the clamps when 'in position and rivet the extremities of the keepers upon the bottom andithrough the outer flange of the wingrail, as shown in Fig. 2. Moreover, as a reenforcement to the keepers 7c lrfin their said function in cases where heavy and `frequent trains pass over the frog and cause frequent and severe vibration to thecnti re structure, I rivet a short section of anglebar L to the outer side ofthe webs of the wing-rails beforeplacing the brace-blocks in position, and by notching the horizontal flanges of the angle-bars, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to a depth about equal to the thickness of the binding bars or clamps and in length to the breadth of said clamps, I secure when in position nicely-adjusted seats that contribute in conjunction with the keepers to confine said binding-bars to their original place of adjustment, where their binding-power is at a maximum. This is obvious, since upon inspection it will be perceived that the wing-rails converge slightly toward the point of the frog, and therefore if the clamps slip from their places it will most probably be forward, and in this case will ad-` mit of the different parts of the frog working apart, to the peril of the entire structure.

By the use of the plano-convex-shaped key, Fig. 8, in preference to the beveled k ey, greater strength and a larger engaging-surface in con-` tact with a similar terminally-con formed clamp is thereby secured, and hence in the sameratio the friction is increased'withont increase of material and enhancement of cost-advantages of manifestimportance--as demonstrated by my experience in practice. Hence it is obvious with the brace-blocks bearing solidly against the base and the under side of the head of the rail, and the curved ends of the clamps on the one side and the interpcsition of the plano-convex keys on the other between the blocks and curved ends, `to tighten or Wedge V up the whole with the co-operating keepers, as aforementioned, that the parts of the frog will be held rigidly in place and strictlyiin a vertical as well as in a horizontal line, andthe i strain will therefore be equal on allithe parts.

Vhen in use, this frog is laid upon the cnossties in the usual manner, with the bindingbars between thevcross-ties, the usual spikes being driven into theties against `the rails to confine the frog in place, the ends of the rails of the frog being secured to the trackLrails by chairs or any desired form of joint-splices.`

It is also obvious that from the peculiar construction of this frog, whenever any part shall4 have becomeiundulyworn the split keys can` y be closed together and driven out, which will loosen all the parts, and permitany part to be removed, when the parts may again be fastened together by the binding-bars, keys, and braceblocks, the frog remaining upon the ties and in place, thus effecting a great saving in the time andexpense of repairs.

I am aware of Patent N o. 215,548, and make` no claim to the subjectmatter claimeditherein.

I claim- 1. A railroad-frog consisting of two solid points, constructed substantially as described, curved wing-rails, throat-.pieces adapted to fit the point and wing-rail, brace-blocks bearing against the wing-rails, binding-bar having a split end, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the point and wingrail throat and brace-bars of a frog, of a curved binding-bar, and clips 1c for securing the bar: 

